Afterfall
by Inspiredbythew0r1d
Summary: My first actual Fanfic. An AU that takes place after the season 8 finale. Mainly follows Castiel who is having trouble coping as a human and going to Dean for help. Sammy, because he is such a caring guy, approaches Crowley about what happened the night the angels fell. Cas, under Dean's supervision, once again takes on becoming a hunter. Sorry if it seems a bit boring.
1. Chapter 1

*****I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR THE SHOW*****

**Feel free to let me know what you think :) I am open to criticism or suggestions. Let me know what you want to read! **

Chapter 1:

Castiel found himself by the side of a road after stumbling through the thick forest. His body was weary with fear and exhaustion. He had watched his brothers and sisters fall from the sky like meteorites smashing into the ground. "What have I done?" His voice croaked dryly. He gasped as something wet slid down his cheek. He put his hand to his face. He was crying. A powerful angel had become nothing more than a regular human. Castiel's lips trembled as tears filled his eyes.

He stumbled farther onto the road. A car whipped around the corner with its high beams on. Castiel froze in place, for the first time in his life he was scared, really scared. "Dean..." He whispered under his breath. The driver slammed the breaks of his car feet away from where Castiel stood and got out immediately. Before he could even utter a word, Cas attacked him with questions. "Where is the nearest town? Do you know where I can locate a cellular device? Can you accommodate me with transportation to the nearest settlement?"

The man looked Cas up and down. "You look like you just came from hell." Cas took a look at himself for the first time since the fall. His clothes were torn and stained with dirt and blood. "Actually I fell from heaven." Cas said completely serious looking back up at the man. The man nodded. "Yeah and I'm Brad Pitt. We should get you to a hospital." Cas shook his head. "I do not require medical attention, Brad. I wish to be taken to the nearest phone." Cas said as he got into the man's large metal moving machine. "Name's not Brad. Here borrow my cell."

The man handed Cas a flip phone. Looking at it timidly, Cas finally turned to the man. "I do not know how to use this device. Do you have a phone like Dean's?" Cas asked. "Umm. No afraid not. That's the only one I've got. Just flip open the screen, type in your friend's number and hit the green talk button." Cas did as the man said. "Dean?" He asked speaking into the phone. The man pushed the phone closer to Castiel's ear so he could hear his friend. "Cas?! Holy crap Cas! Are you okay? Where are you? The angels have fallen from heaven!" Cas nodded, and then realized Dean could not see him. "I'm the reason they fell Dean. I locked them out of heaven."

The other end of the phone was silent for a while. "Dean. I can't hear what you are saying. Please speak up." Dean sighed on the other side of the phone. "I wasn't talking Cas. I was processing the stuff you just said." Cas sighed, letting his eyes drop from the road to the floor of the car. His eyes were still glazed over and frightened. "Dean I didn't know-"

"Exactly Cas! You didn't know. You just go along with what anybody tells you! You do as you're told and have no mind if your own. You don't pay attention to anyone else around you. Meet up with us soon. I've got to go, Sammy's coughing up blood again."

"Wait, Dean!" The phone beeped a few times before Cas pulled it away from his ear. "I believe your communicator is malfunctioning." Cas said as he handed the man back his phone. "My phone is working just fine, it makes that noise when someone hangs up." Cas opened his mouth meaning to say something, but only said "Oh..." The two men drove in silence. When they finally reached a gas station, Cas got out of the car. "Are you sure you will be alright on your own?" The man asked. "Yes. Thank you very much for the lift." Again Cas made finger quotes as he said "lift". The man nodded. "Uh huh. No problem."


	2. Chapter 2

*****DO NOT OWN ANY OF THE CHARACTERS OR THE STORY*****

Cas shifted in place as he stood outside the small gas mart. Dean was on his way in the old black 1967 Chevy Impala. He moved from one foot to the other, as rain hammered from the sky. Cas flinched as thunder echoed through the trees. He recalled the last time he had stood beside a road waiting for Dean. It had been before Dean was sent back five years in the past by Zachariah. Cas smiled at the memory. He had waited the whole night for Dean. He laughed at the thought of the voices telling him he was out of minutes. His smile soon faded as he thought of the angels. How could he smile at a time like this? He sniffled and rubbed his arms.

There was an overwhelming feeling of happiness and relief as he watched the Impala pull up and park right in front of him. The classic car was perfectly in tune and in great shape as always. The rain bounced heavily onto the car, sliding off in a more gentle manner. The windshield wipers were moving in perfect unison with the engine. Between each swipe of the wipers, Cas caught a glimpse of Dean. His unforgettable green eyes, pierced into Castiel's once solid heart. Dean was obviously upset, probably even mad at him. Neither of them moved for what seemed like forever, finally Dean honked the horn. Cas awoke from his daydreaming and made his way through the pouring rain and into the passenger's seat of the Impala. Dean backed up, and they hit the road, heading back to Sammy and the chained up King of Hell.

Inside the the Impala was silent except for the purr of the engine. Cas stared intently at Deam's facial expression trying to decipher it like a code. "Cas. Stop it." Cas flinched. "Stop what Dean?" Cas said tilting his head to the left slightly, and bunching up his forehead. "Stop staring at me." There was a small pause before Dean raised his voice. "Dammit Cas! I already have Sammy to worry about, and now I have you running around making the angels fall from heaven and calling me up for a ride." Dean turned to yell at Cas for a moment before turning back to the road and letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Dean I-" Dean shook his head. "Don't Cas. Just don't." The rest of the trip back to the small church was silent. The silence amplified the rhythmic sound of the Impala's mechanical heart. Dean didn't even attempt to play AC DC or any of his favorite bands. Cas sat comfortably although he was unsure of the situation. Riding in a mechanical moving machine was still unusual for him, but he sat quietly as requested of him by Dean.

Dawn slipped slowly and nonchalantly over the horizon emanating a rusty brick red hue. The hue was accompanied by an unusual wave of flamed clouds being forced outward. Cas stared out of the freshly dried window. He placed his fingers to the glass feeling the cold rush down his fingertips and into the depths of his soul. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Dean. In his husky but sincere voice he spoke. "Dean. We need to talk about this. I understand I made a mistake and I will do everything in my power to make things right. I was doing what I thought was right. I do not regret my feelings or intentions." Dean glanced at Cas for a moment but said nothing. "Dean.." Cas's shoulders sank down. "How's Sam?" Okay. Change the subject Castiel. Dean is upset. Cas thought to himself. "He's not looking good Cas. We stopped the trials but it's taken it's toll on his body." Cas nodded. "I'm sorry it was Sam who did the trials." Castiel said sympathetically, the emotion still new to him.

The sky was still dark as they pulled up the dirt path. Sam stumbled into the doorway of the church as he heard the purr of the Impala's engine outside. He was leaning heavily on his right, his chest heaving up and down at an exhausted rate. Cas followed Dean to stand before Sam's empathetic eyes. Dean helped Sam who was tripping over his own feet into the abandoned building. "It's good to see you Cas." Sam said before coughing. Cas opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. Finally he thought of the few simple words he need to say. "It's good to see you alive Sam." Sammy nodded and pushed Dean away. "I can walk Dean!" Dean put his hands up and backed away as Sam stumbled for the chair to the left of the bent over figure sitting in the center of a devils trap. Crowley rolled his head cracking his neck. "Hello boys."

"Crowley." Cas stood directly in front of the sweating beat up King of Hell. "Hello Castiel. How's heaven? Oh thats right. I almost forgot. You helped kick out all your angel friends. Just kidding, its kind of hard to forget when you can hear their cries and the impact as they smash into the earth's crust all around the world! But thats not my problem. As far as I'm concerned you did me a favor." Cas balled up his fists, turning his knuckles starch white. Crowley smirked, clearly proud of upsetting the angel. The fallen angel. "I thought you said he was different." Dean turned to Sam. "He was... Before I stopped the trial he was." Sam replied softly. "Yeah well he's back to being the same demon we all know and love." Dean said sarcastically.

Castiel's eyes forced themselves open for the fifth time in two minutes, His body felt weak and unstable. His stomach was making noise and rumbling like an earthquake. "Cas, you need to sleep." Dean said noticing Cas forcing himself to stay awake. "Angel's don't sleep." Cas replied. It pained Dean to see Castiel in such a state. "You're not an angel anymore. Your body is human and needs to eat and sleep. I bought some burgers." Dean tossed a cold burger to Cas. Cas didn't realize how hungry he was until he took a bite. "Take your time eating it-" Dean started to say, but stopped as Cas's eyes locked with his. His eyes pleaded for another burger. Dean tossed him another, knowing the feeling and taste of a delicious burger. Cas took his time with the second one, taking Dean's words to heart. He was much more awake now that he had some nourishment. "Now go get some sleep. There aren't any beds but you can crash in the Impala." Cas stopped leaning on the wall and unfolded his arms. "Crash? I do not understand." Dean let a small smile escape his lips. "Sleep Cas. I mean you can sleep in the Impala." Cas nodded. "Oh. Then I will go crash, in the Impala." Cas emphasized the word crash. He turned and left Dean to watch Crowley. Sam was passed out in the passenger's seat, so Cas made his way to the back of the Impala. It didn't take long for the dreamless angel to fall victim to the lulling warmth succumbing to sleep.

Cas dreamt that night for the first time. He relived the so called trials. He followed the instructions from Metatron without thinking. The Nephilim, a cupids bow, and his own Grace. All really part of a spell. He should have listened to Dean, but he was blinded by reassuring words. He didn't trust those he should have. He was in the Impala one moment, and tied to a chair in Naomi's office the next. Metatron stood before him, spewing words of betrayal. Castiel felt himself gagging at the taste of his own blood. He couldn't breathe. He felt his Grace being ripped away from him, pulling at his soul. He tried to fight back, feeling the excruciating pain that came with it. Maybe I deserve this? Maybe this is punishment for what I did in the past. Then the pain was gone, and so was his Grace. His wings. He was gone. Falling from heaven at an increasing rate. His wings burned with a painful sensation before they were gone completely. He felt fear race through his entire body as he prepared for impact. Just as he was about to hit the ground, he woke.


	3. Chapter 3

Castiel pushed himself off the back seat of the Impala. He sighed as he sat up, wiping the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. A light knocking on the window startled him. He turned and saw Dean beckoning him towards the church. Castiel climbed out of the Impala and stretched his tired cramped limbs. He reached his arms up over his head and yawned. After completing his newly discovered need to stretch, he made his way to the church door. Dean and Sam were standing in front of Crowley. Castiel looked at the two boys. Men. They were different from when they first met. They were stronger than Cas now. Castiel noticed Dean's forced position. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

"Lovely! The whole team is here. Well not everyone... Poor John died for Sammy,

Your friend Ash is gone. Ellen, Jo. Bobby. Even Kevin Tran's mom and girlfriend are dead. Who else has to die so you three can keep screwing up? You even got that bitch Naomi killed. I really have to thank you boys." Crowley revealed a crooked grin. "And poor little Moose. He's just about dead. Again. Less dead, but he's getting close. Good luck getting one of my demon's to sign a contract with you to save him Dean. Cause it won't happen!" Dean launched himself at Crowley, but instead lander in Sam's weak grip. "Enough! The bother of you!" Sam put all his strength in keeping Dean at bay. Dean realized the strain he was putting on his brother and backed away. He put his hands on the back of his head and took deep breaths. Sammy released the breath he had been holding. Dean took advantage of this moment and landed his fist with a direct hit to Crowley's nose. "Dean!" Sam shouted realizing Dean's intentions. Castiel moved to guide Dean away from the freshly bleeding Crowley. His nose, now broken, favored the right side of his face. "You punch like my mother!" Crowley spat blood toward the boys. "Shutup!" Cas and Sam said in perfect unison. Dean shook his hand, flexing it out and making sure he hadn't broken anything besides Crowley's face.

"Dean. We need to talk." Cas stood outside with Dean. Dean said nothing so Cas continued. "I'm worried about you Dean. You're acting unreliable-"

"Unreliable?! What are you saying Cas?"

"Your judgement is being clouded by the fact that Sam isn't alright and you're letting Crowley manipulate you." Dean was speechless. This was the first time Cas had spoken to him like that. These were not normal things for Cas to say. "I know Cas. I'm sorry. I won't let it happen again." Cas nodded his head. "Good. I need to ask you for a favor."

Sammy sat in a chair directly across from Crowley. "What? Is there something on my face?" Crowley asked sarcastically. "What's wrong with you Crowley?" Sam stood up and retrieved a rag and a small bowl of water. He sat back down and began wiping away some of the blood. "Ouch! Jeez you're worse than the princess outside." Sam knew he was referring to Dean and the amount of force he used to punch him. "Why are you doing this Moose?" Crowley finally asked sighing. "Why are you doing this Crowley?" Sam mimicked. "I'm the King of Hell. It's in my job description." Crowley shrugged his shoulders. Sam finished wiping away most of the dried blood before backing away from Crowley. "You can't pretend the conversation we had during the trials never happened." Crowley turned away. "I don't know what you mean." Sam sighed. "Then let me refresh your memory. 'I deserve to be loved'." With those few words Crowley's face softened. "You asked me to help you confess your sins. Let me help you." Crowley chuckled. "You never give up do you?"

Dean stared at Cas refusing to show any emotion. "We tried this before Cas. It didn't work out." Castiel noticed Dean's refusal ring through his ears. After two minutes, Cas finally made his resolution. He wiggled himself out of the broken in trench coat. He looked down at it for a moment, recalling the day Dean handed it back to him cleaned and carefully folded. He looked up at Dean and then tossed it across to him. Dean's eyes widened as he realized Cas had thrown it his way. He caught it just in time. "Cas, what are you doing?" Cas then loosened the tie around his neck. "I'm serious about this time Dean. I want to become a hunter. I can't be useless." Dean shook his head. "You're not useless.-"

"Don't." Cas interrupted him. "I'm an angel of the lord. Was an angel... I have a duty to you, I can't sit by and do nothing. Please Dean." Dean straightened his posture. "Fine. Alright I get it. I'll let Sammy know."

Sam leaned against the far wall watching Crowley. Neither spoke. Just as Sam went to say something, Dean walked in the room. "Sam." Dean walked up to Sam and spoke in a more hushed voice. This peaked Crowley's interest, but not enough to make him want to rattle Dean's nerves. "Dean.. I'm fine!" Sam protested. "Have you seen yourself lately?" Crowley questioned automatically. Both Winchesters turned and glared at Crowley, who smirked in response. "Oh don't mind me. I would leave you two alone and in privacy but-" Crowley squirmed in his chair, making the point of being chained up. Dean let out a aggravated growl before leaving the building. Sammy glared at Crowley before stumbling awkwardly after Dean.

Getting Crowley in the Impala with the same level of trappedness proved less difficult than expected. They had cleaned up most of the mess they had created in the old church. Castiel now sat in the back of the Impala next to the talkative prisoner. Dean soon tired of his chatter, blasted ACDC throughout the car, much to Sam's displeasure. Not even slightly discouraged, Crowley continued to bicker. Castiel's ears felt like imploding, the noise level was like nothing he had heard before. They pulled up to the shabby hotel, and Dean cut the engine. Crowley took a moment to realize the silence and became silent himself. Dean exited the car, returning with a set of room cards.

With Sam settled into the hotel room and Crowley securely placed and tied up once again, Dean and Castiel took off in the Impala just as the sun faded behind the clouds, threatening them with an coming storm. "I really hope you're serious about this. You're body isn't the same as it was before Cas. I can't promise they training will be quick or easy." Castiel watched Dean from the passenger's seat. Dean turned catching his stare. Dean wasted seconds on eye contact with Castiel. "I'm very serious Dean. I do not joke." The gruffness of his voice swallowed the silence. Dean nodded. "If you say so. Don't say I didn't warn you." Cas became puzzled. "Why would I say such a thing?" Dean opened his mouth to tell Cas it was just a phrase people used, but changed his mind. "Forget it." Cas turned toward the window, furrowing his eyebrows trying to figure out the meaning of the phrase. "Stop trying to figure it out Cas. Get some sleep. You're going to need it."

***Please leave me reviews! I would love to hear your thoughts! :D* **


	4. Chapter 4

Castiel woke to a tapping on his window. Forcing his tired eyes open, Cas saw Dean beckoning him outside. Cas pushed his door open and stumbled outside of the Impala, stretching and relaxing his muscles. Dean tossed a bag at him in mid stretch. "What's this?" Cas asked opening the bag. "Clothes. Get changed." Dean turned away from Cas and began heading toward the small diner. It was barely after dawn, Cas realized. Had Dean been driving all night?

Cas left the diner bathroom wearing the clothes Dean had got him. His normal trench coat, suit and tie look was replaced with a pair of well fitting jeans, military grade work boots, and a red tshirt under a light blue and grey flannel. Cas had placed his old familiar clothes in the bag. He say across from Dean in the booth. The two ate a decent breakfast before leaving the diner. Castiel placed his old clothes on top of the folded trench coat in the Impala's trunk. He tugged at the flannel collar before closing the trunk. He then joined Dean in the Impala. "What's first?" Cas asked curiously. "Guns." Dean said simply before putting the Impala on the road once more.

Cas sat uncomfortably with a shotgun in his hands. Dean sat across from him with his own. "Just watch." Dean instructed. Cas watched as Dean carefully disassembled the weapon. His fingers moved across the piece accurately and in tune with each part. Without a single flaw Dean's shotgun lay across the table disassembled. "Your turn." Cas took a quick glance at Dean's work before shakely beginning his. "Calm down Cas. Don't be nervous. Just relax." Cas took a deep breath and relaxed his body before continuing.

Dean and Castiel worked through the day doing the same thing over and over again until Cas was confident in taking apart and reassembling a shotgun. After the shotgun, Dean placed a hand gun in front of Cas. To Castiel's surprise, he felt much more confident than in the beginning. Dean showed him only once how to take apart and reassemble the handgun before leaving Cas on his own. Dean watched from the doorway of the old house they were currently occupying as Cas completed reassembling the handgun for the tenth time. He was getting used to the way guns worked. In the beginning he had doubted Castiels skill with guns. Dean began to recall the moment he was sent to the future and had seen the future Cas. He had been so different.

Dean awoke from his nap. He hadn't slept in two days. A refreshed feeling overwhelmed him. He stretched before looking out the window. It must have been about noon. "Cas!" Dean gasped. He had forgotten to tell Cas to take a break. He pushed himself off the couch and made his way to the room he had left Castiel. "Cas!" Dean stumbled toward the door way to find Cas still awake. "Dean! This is incredible." Cas was observing the reassembled shotgun and handgun. Just as Cas went to disassemble it once again Dean stopped him. "That's enough Cas. I didn't mean to let you continue this all night." Cas just smiled. "It's fine Dean. I now fully understand how they work and how to fix them." Castiel's smile enchanted the room. Dean nodded. "Okay but you're done with that. Now you have to learn to shoot."

Dean Winchester stood two yards behind the shaken and slightly scared Castiel. Shooting practice had gone well, and Cas proved himself worthy of carrying a gun. He had decided to move the training along after Cas failed to miss. Hand to hand combat was a strong point of Dean's. Castiel on the other hand was overwhelmed by his inability to control his human body in combat. His movements were clumsy and inaccurate, and his senses were dull.

Dean carefully approached Castiel from behind, moving with everyone of Castiel's movements before catching him in a headlock, one arm wrapped around his neck, and the other placed under his arm and back around his neck. Castiel struggled under Dean's grip before tapping out. "Come on Cas. There were at least a dozen ways you could have escaped my grip or gotten the upper hand. Stop trying to understand the moves, just do them." Dean released his grip on Cas before retreating to a new vantage point. Cas took deep breaths restoring his loss of oxygen, then slowed his breathing. Dean had gone over the basic offensive and defensive moves earlier that day. Castiel shuttered at the thought of being in actual combat and not being able to fight off an attacker.

Castiel now stood with a new found determination. There were very few placed Dean could surprise him from, and it was unlikely he would use the same one. Cas made his way on the trail leading back to the old house. The clearing to his right caught his eye. Dean stood at the center, waiting for him. Cas made his way over the tree roots and branches to the plain clearing. Dean took the offensive forcing Castiel on defensive. Cas cowered under the force of Dean's blows but refused to give ground. Cas waited for the right moment to switch the table around. Just as Dean switched the force of his pressure from his left foot to his right, Castiel's body moved on his own.

Sam sat comfortably on the hotel bed with Crowley sleeping upright in the chair. Just when he thought the day was going so well, his throat tightened and he began to cough frantically. He made his way to the bathroom sink and noticed the familiar sight of blood. Sam rinsed his mouth when the coughing fit ended and cleared the sink of the blood. Making his way over to the small table where his laptop sat, Sam noticed Crowley's open eyes watching him. "Not doing too well Moose?" Crowley asked feeling obligated. Sam scoffed at him before flipping open his laptop.

Crowley and Sam sat silently for an hour or so before Sam's phone rang. "Yeah?" pause "Good. I'm fine Dean." pause "Thats good. I'm glad." pause "Yes I'm sure I'm fine. No he's behaving." pause "Dean! Stop worrying. You'll be back in a day or so. I can handle him till then." pause "Okay. Good luck." pause "You too Dean." Sam sighed before hanging up his phone and tossing it across the table. Leaning back in the plush hotel chair, Sam glanced over at Crowley. He had resumed his sleeping position. Pushing himself to his feet, Sam found his way over to and collapsed on the couch.

"Take care of yourself Sammy." Dean waited for Sam to hang up before he closed his phone and tossed it onto the table. "Hows Sam?" Cas asked walking into the room. "Says he's fine but he doesn't sound too good." There was noticeable regret in his voice. Changing the touching subject, Cas tried to intrigue Dean. "I might have found a case nearby. I figured it could be my first real case as a hunter." Cas shifted nervously. He wanted nothing more than to impress his mentor and prove to himself that he wasn't useless in tough situations.

"There's an unusual amount of childrens missing reports in the area. Some kids are even seen walking off and not responding to anyone around them, then they disappear." Dean leaned back in his chair. "Most kids are last seen playing around the park." Cas continued. Dean nodded. "But how do we know its not just a pedophile?" Dean asked. Cas paused, contemplating the answer, getting more insecure about his find. "Well.. We really don't know. But kids are disappearing without a trace. If its not a case..." Dean stood up before Cas could finish. "Okay! Lets get going. Time to save some children."

***I was told I was walking a "very fine line" by making Cas seem nervous... I hope that it turns out to be a good thing. :) Nect chapter: Castiel's first real case as an actual human hunter :D. Please review!***


	5. Chapter 5

***I don't own the characters or anything!***

**I am so sorry for the long wait. I have no excuse. I will post the next chapters sooner. Please let me know what you think about the chapter. **

Cas stood patiently still as Dean fixed his tie and tucked his fake ID into his inside jacket pocket. Dean gave Cas a pat on the shoulder before turning back to the Impala. "Just remember to hold your ID out properly this time. We don't have time for any screw ups." Cas nodded, silently leaving mental notes for himself. His lips moved as if they were giving him silent instructions. "Cas. Relax man. You'll do fine." Cas nodded. "Right."

Dean smiled in approval. The interrogations had gone well and Cas had proved he knew how to properly flip out an ID. Cas smiled, showing his pearly whites. "Did good Cas. You did good." The silence was broken by Cas. "So what do you think? Is it a case?" Dean sat back in his chair. "Cases like this are hard to determine. But you might be onto something here. In all of these missing child cases, reports of strong winds blowing directly in the area of the kidnapping."

"Don't forget the claims of hearing voices of spirits." Cas chimed in. "Yeah that too. Strong winds, children missing, spirits. Weren't they all kids from the same neighborhood?" Czas flipped through their copy of the missing child reports. "Yeah. Three of the kids lived directly across from each other and the fourth was just around the corner. They all frequented the neighborhood park." Dean nodded. "Okay. Lets go check this park out."

"Dean... I don't think this is a good idea." Dean sighed. "It's fine Cas. We're not pedophiles. We're here as the FBI." Cas and Dean stood by the side of the park, watching the parents give them dirty looks.

Cas followed Dean over to a pair of mothers sitting on a park bench. The women gave them a look of disgust. Dean walked confidently over to the women and smiled while pulling out and flipping open his badge. "Excuse me ladies. We are here investigating the recent disappearances of four children." Cas did the same, trying to hide his lack of confidence behind his badge. The women looked apologetically at the boys. "We were hoping you could tell us anything you know about their disappearances." Dean continued. The blonde woman in her late 20's sitting on the left spoke up first. "Do you have any leads as to who took the children? I'm a friend of one of the mother's."

"We're not in the position to say anything about the case. It's currently an open investigation." Cas spoke up, knowing they could not tell these women their real suspicions. Dean turned and nodded approval to Castiel's comment. "I'm really sorry, but we can't. Can you tell us anything you might have seen or heard? Anything suspicious?" Dean asked. The women stayed quiet for a minute trying to remember anything. "Umm.. There might have been something a bit unusual. I couldn't tell really, but there were three people standing off to the side of the park near the trees, and then they were gone. I hope that helps." Dean nodded and Cas made a mental note of the three figures. "Thank you very much ladies. Enjoy the rest of your evening." Cas thanked the women and followed Dean back to the Impala.

"This case is looking more like a regular kidnapping case." Cas stood tall, ready to protest but he was forced to a halt when Dean stopped abruptly and turned around. "Don't worry. I'm not going to drop this case just yet. We can still interview the families and research the history of the town." Castiel smiled. "Thank you Dean." Dean turned back around. "Yeah no problem."

Cas and Dean split up. Dean going to the houses of parents whose children went missing, and Cas to research any history of children kidnappings or any local legends. After dropping Cas off at the city hall, Dean went across town to the first house. Castiel walked into the large building and found his way to the front desk. A young woman greeted him from behind the counter. "Hi, how can I help you?" She asked. Cas pulled out his badge and flipped it open. "I need to access some old police files and town history if thats alright with you." The woman smiled. "Just give me one moment please.

Cas sat comfortably in a private meeting room, the desk piled with papers and folders. He had been given everything he asked for and some privacy. He sat at the far end facing the door. He relaxed his shoulders and began the search. He spent hours flipping through one file to the next. Nothing interesting about the town history or local legends. The town was historically boring. Castiel opened a folder to a unsolved missing child report from twenty-five years ago. The details of the case caught his eye, and he noticed five other similar cases in the same year.

Gathering up those specific files, he left the room. Upon exiting the building he pulled out the phone Dean has handed him. "Hello Dean." Cas greeted when Dean answered. "Hey Cas. Find anything?"

"Yes. I have. Six cases have very similar aspects to what happened to the recent children. They occurred twenty-five years ago and were unsolved." Cas heard a car door slam shut, and the purr of an engine over the phone. "Okay Cas. I'm on my way. We'll talk about what I found out when we get back to the hotel."

Dean sat across from Castiel at the table in the hotel room with a beer in his hand. The case files spread out across the table. Cas had went over his recent discoveries with Dean and now waited for his. "There were sightings of three cloaked figures at the edge of the park. All gone sometime during the childrens disappearances. Three colors. White, black, and red." Dean twirled the beer bottle in his hand. "So?" Cas asked. "Thats just it. I don't know. I can't tell if these guys are larping or the real deal." Cas furrowed his eyebrows. "Larping?" Dean nodded. "Yeah. Live action roleplaying."

"Oh." Cas tried to imagine what larping was like before Dean called his attention back. "Anyway, It's a lead that I'm not quite sure how to follow. I'm going to call Sam and see what he can find out." Cas nodded. "Alright. I will..." Cas looked around the hotel room. "I think I will go over the old cases one last time." Dean nodded, getting up to leave the hotel room. After stepping outside he pulled out his phone and dialed Sam's number. "Hey Sammy."

"Dean? What's up?"

"Cas and I are stumped. I've never had to deal with a case where children go missing and three mysterious figures are always on scene."

"Okay. Tell me more. I'll dig through a few things and see what I can find."

"Yeah, okay. Well-" Dean explained the recent information they had gathered on the case. "Okay Dean. Let me get back to you."

Dean reentered the hotel room tucking his phone into his jacket pocket. Cas sat hunched over the papers. "Take a break Cas. Sam will get back to us soon." Cas nodded sitting up and stretching.

Dean struggled to sit up after hearing his phone go off. He had fallen asleep only an hour ago. He answered groggily. "Yeah?" He coughed, clearing his throat. "Hey. I might have found something." Dean sat up straighter. "What'd you find?" Sam hesitated. "Its a bit farfetched, but the three figures were a big help."

"Come on Sam. I don't have all day."

"Right. Well its a Russian lore said to be told to scare children. The evil witch Baba Yaga.." Dean cut him off. "Baba what?"

"Baba Yaga. She's an old witch who is told in one story to eat children. In all versions she has three servants, or horsemen. A black, red, and white horseman who were midnight, day and dawn. You mentioned a forest. Its said she lives in a forest in a house that is said to stand on chicken legs." Dean laughed. "You gotta be kidding Sam." Sam sighed. "Its all I got Dean. I don't see any other lores or myths about such things. She eats the children Dean. You'll be lucky to find her in time to save the last child." Dean went silent. That had killed his mood. "Where can we find her."

"Umm. Deep in the forest. The house would look normal at first glance. Its guarded by a ravenous dog, a malicious cat and a birch tree."

"Okay. Thanks Sammy. We will check it out tomorrow morning."

"Glad I could help."

Dean relaxed on his bed. "What did Sam find?" Cas asked having heard part of the conversation. "He said it could be an old witch named Baba Yaga." Dean replied, more concern for the children showing in his tone of voice. "Lets get some more sleep and check it out tomorrow morning." Cas nodded. "Alright. Good night Dean."

"Yeah. Night Cas." Settling back to sleep Dean Winchester and Castiel closed their eyes, both anxious and unnerved.

Morning didn't come soon enough for the two hunters. Ready and out of the hotel early in the morning, Cas and Dean found themselves by the park forest, untouched for decades. What's a Russian witch doing in America? Dean thought to himself. He closed the Impala trunk and slung his bag over his shoulder. Cas stood farther away staring at the forest. "Ready?" Dean called out. "Yeah. Lets get going." Cas replied.

The hunters pushed through the thick tangled trees traveling as light as they dared carrying with them iron and the basics. It took them an hour before they wandered to the darker part of the forest. Birds no longer chirped symphonically amongst the tree branches. "Wait. Wait. Shhh." Dean instructed Cas. Both stopped walking to listen to the trees. A howl echoed amongst the trees. "Ravenous dog." Dean said sighing as he recalled his past encounters with Hellhounds and the such. His body remembered the pain of being torn and scratched apart. He shook himself before continuing on with Cas nearly at his heels.

**Just wanted to get something out. More is coming soon. Again sorry for the really long wait. **


	6. Chapter 6

***DO NOT OWN SUPERNATURAL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS***

**Sorry it took so long once again for the update. Let me know what you think. :)**

Trees shook violently against the wind scattering leaves to the ground. Dean and Cas recklessly stumbled through the trees looking for any hint of the old house. They had been walking for two hours, expecting to have already reached the other side of the forest but failed to do so. They hadn't heard any howling since an hour earlier. "Dean maybe this witch isn't our kidnapper. We might have missed something."

"You giving up Cas?"

"What? Of course not!"

"Good, then we keep walking. Sam is usually never wrong."

The trees began to spread outward, making it easier to travel. Dean stopped abruptly causing Cas to bump into him. "What is it Dean?" Dean placed a finger to his lips and pointed across the way. In the far distance a dark blur was barely visible. "Be more quiet." Dean instructed Cas. Nodding, Castiel followed Dean more carefully through the trees.

They were able to see the house clearly from where the two were hiding, placing themselves out of sight. Dean sat with a perfect view of the house. It was an old looking shack, outwardly falling apart. A cat sat perfectly visible at the steps, peacefully enjoying his sleep. Dean spotted the birch tree Sam had mentioned farther away. He felt uncomfortable not being able to locate the dog or any of the three horsemen. Dean reminisced momentarily about previous witch cases.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Sam hadn't stopped scanning the web for anything that could help Dean on the case. Stopping abruptly he picked up his phone and dialed Dean's number. It went straight to voicemail. "Hey Dean. You have to be careful. They may only take children, but they don't take kindly to strangers. They will kill you if you get caught. Be careful." Sam called Cas, again straight to voicemail. This time he didn't leave a message, instead he just hang up. "You sound worried Moose." Crowley commented groggily. Sam sat back and glanced in Crowley's direction. "Yeah.." Sam said quietly. He had yet to get any sleep. He made his way clumsily to his bed only to be attacked by a coughing fit. He let out a deep breath and flopped down on the bed shutting his eyes. "Not looking good Sammyboy." Crowley commented, agitating Sam. "I feel worse." Sam replied trying to block Crowley out.

Cas listened to the wind blow past them carrying with the the soft snores of the sleeping cat. They had moved closer, trying to locate the witch herself. "I read somewhere that two children fed the cat and got away from the witch." Dean said turning to Cas. As the words left Dean's mouth, Cas pulled out one of Dean's many snacks. "Say we do get past the cat. Did the story say how to get past the dog or the tree or any of the horsemen?" Cas asked Dean refusing to hand over the snack until he was answered. Dean hesitated. "Nothing much on the dog or the horsemen. Just feed the cat, tie clothe to the tree and when it comes to the witch..." Dean paused. "Something about a towel and a comb." Sighing Cas passed the wrapped up food to Dean. "Great. Lets try not to get killed." Dean laughed quietly. "Are you developing a sense of humor Chuckles?"

Cas followed Dean toward the house. They had waited long enough without spotting the horsemen or hearing the howls of the dog. The cat was instantly awaken by their approaching footsteps. "Okay kitty. I don't know exactly know how to do this but..." Dean pulled out and unwrapped the food. He moved it slowly toward the cat. The black cat's green eyes flashed a glance at Dean and then settling onto the food. The cat rose and crept toward Dean's outstretched hand taking the food gently from his hand. Dean let out a long held breath and moved his hand toward the cat. His fingers stroked its head, and received a purr of approval.

The door of the old hut was unlocked, making it easy for Castiel and Dean to sneak quietly inside. The door creaked as it opened and close behind them. "So much for quietly." Dean mumbled to himself. The house smelled like dirty socks and strong smelling herbs. Dean almost gagged at the smell. The hut was small, consisting of only two rooms. Each room as filled with books and herbs. What stood out in the first room was a large pot boiling water over the chimney fire. They hadn't noticed any smoke from the outside.

"Okay, well I don't see any children." Dean pointed out obviously. Cas began to wander around the room. Looking at a few of the books laying open on the table. "Dean. Come look at this." Dean made his way over to where Castiel was standing. The book laying open displayed two pages. Both describing a sacrificial spell. "Six children. Three boys and three girls are sacrificed on the night of a super moon. All the children must be under their 10th year since birth." Cas read from the first page. Dean opened his duffle bag and shoved the old leather bound book inside. "We'll take this with us." He mumbled. "Let's look around for any hints to the whereabouts of the missing children." Dean whispered. Cas nodded and the two searched the house. After an exhausted and unsuccessful search, the two hunters decided it was time for them to leave. "Feed the cat some more on our way out." Dean instructed. "Right." Cas replied. The cat sat satisfied with the food the hunters supplied him with, letting them leave without a fuss. They carefully made their way back to the hotel.

"There have already been four kidnappings. That means there are two left. We should find out how many of the kids for the profile in the neighborhood. We are looking for two girls."

Dean and Cas sat comfortably in the hotel room after the long hike to the witch's house and back. Dean had made a copy of the spell in the old leather bound book and emailed it to Sam. He was still waiting for the call back. The writing in the book had been written in a dead language. Cas had made out a few parts of it, but the rest was left up to Sam.

The two had searched the whole hut and found no clue as to the whereabouts of the children. They were at a loss. "We know they need two more girls. The most we can do is locate the most likely candidates." Dean broke the silence. "I will go speak to Melissa at the police station." Cas stated. "Whoa whoa. Wait a minute. I think I should be the one to speak with her. I have more experience." Castiel sighed. "Dean. It's not the time to try and hookup with women." Dean looked a bit taken back, but just shrugged as innocently as possible. "I will handle it this time Dean." With that Cas took off leaving Dean in the hotel room alone.

"Miss. I would like to speak to the highest authority here please." Castiel stood patiently waiting at Melissa's desk. He noticed her curiosity, and movements of protest. "I'm with the FBI." He stated and pulled his badge from his jacket pocket. "Sorry but he is busy right now." She replied sweetly. "You don't understand. I'm a-" Castiel froze. He wanted so badly to say I'm an angel of the lord. But realized his mistake right away. "I'm here to see him about the missing children." The only words that Melissa could utter was "Oh." With that she led Castiel to a conference room.

Dean grew bored quickly. Deciding there was no way he was going to stay put in the hotel room, he took his baby, the 67' Chevy Impala, out for a ride. Deciding to to leave all the work to Castiel, he chose to go to a hospital and get the birth records of any girls marching the age group and neighborhood.


	7. Chapter 7

***DO NOT OWN SUPERNATURAL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS* **

**YAY! ANOTHER CHAPTER! WROTE IT IN ONE DAY. PROUD OF MYSELF. HOPE YOU LIKE IT. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK :)**

"Alexandra Rodrigues, Carla Hunter, Lucy Hunter and Mary Alvarez. Great. I was hoping there were only two, but we're never that lucky." Dean relaxed in his chair. Cas had come back with basically the same information. The girls all lived on the same street. The two hunters would have to split up and each keep watch on two of the girls. "Do you think a full or new moon would have something to do with this event?" Castiel asked. He was currently looking at a lunar cycle on the laptop. Dean shrugged. "Dunno. All the witchy stuff usually happens during a full moon right?" It was not Castiel's turn to shrug. He knew less about witches than Dean did.

Castiel soon learned that it was nearly impossible to watch two unrelated girls. Dean drew the lucky straw, watching the twins. There was a higher possibility that they were the ones the witch was after, but they weren't 100% sure.

Dean was leaning against an oak tree at the edge of the park. Children were running around screaming and laughing. His eyes darted from left to right watching for anything suspicious. He was caught off guard when Castiel snuck up behind him. "Hello Dean." Dean whipped his head around, nearly falling off balance, "Dammit Cas! You were sneaky as an angel, but man seriously? You scared the crap out of me." Cas looked at the ground and then back up at Dean. "Sorry." Dean shook his head. "What are you even doing here?"

"Sam called me."

"Okay." there was a long and unnecessary pause. "And?" Dean pushed. "He translated most of the spell. The children are sacrificed under a new moon."

"But thats tonight." Dean stated. "Exactly. She needs two children tonight. That makes the twins the obvious target. But thats not all. Its a reversal spell. She is undoing something. The full moon is used as a catalyst to create spells, the new moon reverses them."

"You're starting to sound like Sam." Dean interrupted. Castiel decided to take that as a compliment. "I tried to memorize his exact words. Its harder to so with such a low brain capacity. Humans only use about 10% of their brain capacity and potential." Cas hesitated, remembering his essence and the fall. "What else did he say?" Dean asked changing the topic.

Just as Castiel went to answer an unusual breeze swept over the park. The once sunny sky was covered with stormy clouds. Fierce winds whipped around trees and play sets. Dean's eyes shot back to locate the twins. Parents were gathering their children. The mother of Lucy and Carla Hunter was going ballistic over finding them. She was too busy calling out their names to notice the three figures off in the distance, and the twins making their way over to them. Dean instantly located them and took off in their direction. "Cas! Go get the bag!" Cas took off in the other direction heading toward the Impala.

Dean reached for the gun tucked into the back of his pants. He was less than 50 meters behind the girls. The wind pushed against him slowing him down. Cas had reached the Impala and now followed Dean, who was cursing at himself for not being able to run any faster. Dean hesitated for a moment when he heard horse hooves and the neighing of three horses. As he got closer to the figures, he noticed they were clad in armor. The Red, White, and Black Horsemen.

Dean reached out to one of the girls, but she slipped from his grasp. The girls were in some sort of trance. There was a loud shriek before Dean was sent flying backward. He coughed and gasped for breath. The red horseman stood above him, sword to his throat. There was another shriek when a bullet blazed by and slammed into the horseman's breastplate. There was no noticeable indent where the bullet landed, but the horseman backed away.

The girls were long gone when Castiel reached Dean. They had been whisked away by the other horsemen. The two hunters wasted no time suiting up with weapons and supplies and taking off after them. The path to the old hut was still fresh in their minds. They navigated through the trees. They had two hours before night engulfed the sky.

It took them just under an hour to reach the hut. It looked nothing like it did when they first saw it. The trees appeared to have moved closer to the floating hut. It made Dean take a second look, realizing there were two long pieces of wood solely supporting the house. A loud howl shook the leaves of the trees. A shadowy hunched figure sat at the front steps. The witch's hound. Dean tilted his head and sighed quietly, cursing under his breath. It's eyes glowed red, monitoring the trees. Once again the horsemen were nowhere in sight.

"You take the dog. I'll check the house." Castiel instructed. "What?! Why do I get the dog." Cas hesitated. "I figured since you have more experience with dogs, that the job would suit your skills" Cas spoke logically. Cas noticed the slight fear in his eyes. "Dean if you are scared, I can handle the dog." Cas offered, with no intention of making fun of Dean. "What?! No! I'm not scared. I can handle the dog."

Dean shifted uneasily in his position. He now crouched directly across from the steps where the dog sat. It took him twenty minutes to make his way over to the spot without alarming the hound. "Okay Dean. You can do this." He whispered trying to encourage himself. He stood quickly aiming his gun at the hound, who spotted him instantly. He aimed and fired his gun in a matter of seconds. The bullet landed square in its shoulder, the hound flinched but charged at Dean.

Castiel booked it out of the trees as soon as the hound took off after Dean. He could hear Dean shoot at the hound in a distance. Its snarls had grown angrier and louder. Without looking back, castiel made it to the door in record timing. He reached for the door handle, but almost lost grip when the house moved by itself. Its floors rattled and shook, trying to get Castiel to lose his balance. Castiel yanked the door open, and tripped on his way into the house. He expected to see the witch inside, but instead he was greeted by an empty house. The candles around the house lit themselves. Castiel's eyes attacked every inch of the house, scouring for the children and witch, finding nothing. Cas reached for the door, the floor shook harder cause him to fall. The house began to rise at an incline, causing Castiel to slide down towards the fireplace. The fireplace had not been lit when he entered the house, but as he slid down the floor, the fir had lit itself.

Dean ran for his life, knowing the hound was right behind him. He had shot it three times, and yet it continued to chase him. He was beginning to stumble over tree roots, and his breathing patterns grew more rapid. The hounds howls grew louder behind Dean. "Dammit. Should have picked the house." Dean said, not caring that he had shouted the words as he ran. The sky had grown darker, he was wasting time with the hound. He stopped just long enough, trying to turn and shoot the hound, to be tacked to the ground. His gun flying from his grasp. He pushed his arm up against the hound's throat keeping its mouth away from his face. His other arm reached for his gun. His heart pounding inside his ribs, drowning out all sounds around him. It was him and the hound. He twisted under its weight. Giving up trying to grab his gun, Dean reached for his knife. The hound's jaw snapped close to Dean's ear, he felt the heat as its breath ran down his neck. dean found his thoughts racing to Sam, Bobby, his father, Ellen, Jo, and Cas. He thought of the night Sam killed a Hellhound and completed one of the trials, the hound he was supposed to kill. His hand landed on his knife and slipped it out of its sheath. He gasped for air as he put all his strength into thrusting the knife at the hound.

Castiel's arms flailed around the room reaching for anything solid to hold onto. The floor was inclining at a faster pace. He risked a glance at the burning flames below him. His hand landed on a broken floor board. Splinters sunk themselves into his hands, but he refused to let go. His body lifted off the floor, he now hung in midair, his grasp on the broken floor board the only thing keeping him alive. The flames grew bigger the longer he held on. He tried to pull himself up higher but failed, almost losing grip. He could almost sense the house laughing at him. His grip on the wood was weakening. He watched as blood dripped from his hands.

Dean stumbled back the way he came, the hound's blood all over his shirt. He had caught his breath after killing the hound, and decided to find Castiel. As he re entered the clearing where the house stood, he noticed it standing tall on its two wooden legs. It stood at an acute angle. He stared at the house for a few seconds before he remembered Castiel. He raced over to the house, finding foot holes and climbing his way to the door. He slid down the porch, and pulled the door open. It was at such an angle that for Dean it was like opening a trap door. "Cas! Castiel!" Dean shouted, laying on his stomach to get a look down. ":Dean!" Cas responded looking up. "Hold on! I'll be right back! Don't move." Dean shouted down to him. Cas looked back down at the growing fire. "Why would I move?" Cas asked no one in particular. Dean came back carrying a rope from the bag. Dean tossed one end down to Cas. Cas grabbed the rope, getting a good hold and wrapping part of it around his arm. The house shook in response to the rescue, nearly knocking Dean into the house.

The two sat away from the house catching their breath. Castiel had filled him in on the house being empty. "Where could they be? We have less than an hour left. Dammit!" Dean exploded. The two sat quietly for a moment. The trees had settled, and there was no longer the hound to worry about. The two nearly jumped when a cat came out of nowhere. "Meow" A light bulb clicked in Castiel's head. "Dean. Food."

"It's not the time to be eating Cas." Dean stated grumpily, his stomach growling for a good cheeseburger. ":Not for me Dean. The cat. Feed the cat." Dean sighed handing Cas a snack bar. Cas crouched down by the cat. "Lead us to the witch and children." He told the cat, handing it the food. The cat purred in response. "Cas, you do know how ridiculous this is?! Just because the cat helped the children in the lore, doesn't mean that it actually understands us and help us right now." The cat took off away from the house. "See? It just wanted the food."

"Lets just try this Dean. Trust me." The two hunters followed the cat. The cat took them in the opposite direction than where Dean had killed the hound.

The witch's laughter filled both Dean's and Castiel's ears. It could hardly be described as laughter, more of a cackle. The cat took off leaving them to find the rest of their way. Horses neighing could be heard in the distance, as well as children weeping. Cas gave Dean an I told you so look, not willing to risk being heard. Dean quietly swung the bag from his shoulder. "If we kill the witch we don't have to deal the horsemen.' Dean whispered,. Cas nodded understanding the logic.

A large clearing came into sight, a large fire glowing from the center, surrounded by six slabs of rock, on each lay a small crying child. The grass inside the clearing was completely dead. The three horsemen stood off to the far side. They sat proudly on the horses they had been hearing. They were intimidating in size. Finally Dean's eyes landed on the witch. Her hunched posture, grey hair and clothes made him cringe slightly in disgust. She stood in between two of the slabs of rock, chanting at the fire. Under normal circumstances, they would have just shot the witch, but with warnings from Sam, they carved crosses into their bullets, and planned to burn her body afterwards. "Ready?" Dean asked Cas, who nodded silently. "Lets do this." Dean lifted his head back up in the direction of the witch. "Where'd she go?" He asked surprised. Seconds later the hunters were thrown into the clearing. They landed violently against the ground. Dean moaned before sitting up. The cackling once again filled their ears. Her voice was like listening to nails scratch a chalk board. "Hello boys. Bring me back my book, did you?" Cas reached for the bag before realizing it was at the witch's feet. "I'll take on the witch. You stall the horsemen." Dean whispered. Cas nodded.

They stood side by side, waiting for the witch to make the first move. As she reached for her book, cas ran towards her, last minute turning and tackling one of the un mounted horsemen. Dean using the diversion pulled his out his gun, and shot at the witch. The bullet whizzed right through her. She had disappeared, only to reappear behind Dean. Dean whipped around and fired off his gun once again. The bullet was sent off its path as the witch used magic to throw him against a tree. It took him a moment to recover. The witch had gone back to retrieving her book. "I'm much older than you boy! I know your kind. I am too strong for you." The witch's voice made Dean flinch.

Cas had made the stupid mistake of tackling the white horseman while he was unmounted. It had given Dean a chance at the witch, and he had taken the horseman by surprise, but it was a three on one fight and he was instantly thrown off to the side. He was back on his feet in a matter of seconds and just in time to duck from an incoming sword. He rolled away from the gathering horsemen, all now un mounted with weapons drawn. Castiel pulled out his gun, firing the bullets, knowing they would have no effect against their armor.

Dean noticed Castiel's predicament, deciding to it would be best to hurry up. The witch now held her book open and ready to start the spell. As she began to chant, Dean propped himself up, and retrieved his gun. "Hey! Baba Yaba!" The witch turned to him, glaring at the mispronunciation of her name. "Umm. Dean! I think its Baba Yaga!" Castiel corrected him as he ducked from another swinging sword.

"Thanks." Dean said sarcastically. The witch turned away from Dean and back to her spell. Taking aim, once again, Dean fired off two rounds, timing them as well as he could. As she sent them flying away with magic, Cas stopped trying to evade the swinging swords, and fired off his own gun. One of the bullets hitting the witch in her right shoulder, giving Dean the chance to aim for her heart.

As Cas turned back to the horsemen, the tip of a sword landed a blow to his forearm before the horsemen disappeared. He immediately applied pressure to the bleeding wound. Dean rushed over to where the body of the witch lay, carrying with him lighter fluid and a lighter. He covered the body and lit the lighter, dropping it and watching it set the body ablaze. Cas made a makeshift bandage before he helped Dean gather the children. He watched for a moment, as Dean knelt before small child, telling him he was alright and that nothing was going to happen to him and that he was safe.

With the children back in town and safe, Dean and Cas both agreed to let the local law enforcement take credit for saving the children. They created a cover story, convincing the children and everyone else that it was what really happened. They stood outside the hotel room, placing their stuff in the Impala. "Hey Cas?" Dean stood by the drivers door. "Yes Dean?"

"You wanna drive the Impala?"


	8. Chapter 8

***I DO NOT SUPERNATURAL OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS* **Hey guys... Sorry but I wont be continuing this fic. I wrote a quick, and depressing ending (sorry!). I might try to pick it back up and play off the ending, but that won't happen for a while. It's hard to work on two fan fictions at the same time and all my other stories, so I picked the one I waned to continue the most. Let me know what you guys thought about the story and thanks for reading! :)

Dean and Castiel were on their way back to where Sam was camped out when Dean got a call from Sam. "Hey Sammy. We're on our way back. Sam?" There was a monstrous cough on the other end of the phone. "Sam?!"

"Dean... I-I can't breathe." Another coughing fit entered the phone. "Moose. You don't look too good." Dean heard Crowley say on the other end of the phone. "Listen to me Sam. Sam! You're going to be fine." There was a loud thud and Dean could only assume Sam had dropped the phone and fallen to the ground. "Sam!" Dean's voice echoed through the car. Castiel has been listening to every word of the conversation, wishing he was still an angel. then maybe he could help Sam. "Sam!" Dean called once more. "Sorry. Sam's a bit preoccupied." It was Crowley.

"Crowley! You bastard! What did you do to Sam?" Crowley laughed. "I didn't have to do anything. Your brother is on his way to hell, he's got a few minutes left before his bus leaves. Did you honestly think that if Sam just quit the trials he would live? Honestly, you never stop to amaze me with your stupidity." Crowley emphasized the last word in his sentence. "You can't escape the trials. Once you're in, you're in, no way out. Moose is going to die either way."

Tears threatened to fall from Dean's eyes. "You son of a bitch! I'm going to kill you!" Crowley snorted. "I wasn't the one who killed your brother now am I? Well, gotta run. Good luck trying to bring your brother back to life without a demon to make a deal with." Dean's body was burning with anger. "Crowley you bastard!"

Dean burst through the hotel room door. His gun pulled out, safety off, ready to shoot anything that moved. He threw the gun to the ground when he noticed Sam's body laying on the ground lifeless. here was dried blood stains on Sam's shirt from his coughing. Dean yelled in anger. "Sammy! I'm so sorry Sam! I'm so sorry!" He let the tears fall, no longer holding back. He had lost his brother before, but somehow this time was different. He had no demon to make a deal with, and Crowley was gone.

Castiel stood in the doorway of the hotel room. Unable to bring himself to take a step toward Dean, or Sam's lifeless body. The trouble he had caused the brothers flashed before his eyes. He had been the reason Dean wasn't with Sam. He had been too foolish and trusted Metatron. He had killed Sam, maybe not directly, but he had his hand in Sam's death. His body ached with regret and frustration. He blamed himself, even if neither Sam or Dean did, he blamed himself.

Finally he gathered the strength to kneel beside Dean and place his hand on his left shoulder. He watched Dean cradle his brother in his arm, not even realizing tears were filling his own eyes. "Dean... I-I'm so sorry" Castiel muttered. The tears had dried from Dean's face, and he now just held his brother, not believing it was the end. he had found a way to save his brother before, and he would do it again. Even if it killed him.


End file.
